Thoughts about America from an expat

An email in response to one from my dad who lives in Texas

This sums up pretty much what I believe politically

I don’t believe Capitalism works. It just brings out the worst in humanity, i.e. greed, bitterness, paranoia, quantity not quality, exploitation, deceit. It breeds corruption.

Even if someone started off a business with the best intentions, once the company takes off and the money starts coming in, the dodgy ways will likely follow: they want and need to keep that money flowing and that means get more for less. Pride in product isn’t really the goal, it is sales. Look at all the cheap, plastic shite from China. Look at all the companies using Chinese labour. Not only are the employees working in inhumane working conditions, the human rights record of China is frightening and they should be penalized not embraced. Money outweighing morality.

It’s hard enough just living day to day without inadvertently benefiting from someone else’s suffering or contributing to the destruction of the planet. You buy clothes and someone likely worked long hours at low pay to make them. You drive your kids to school and you’re polluting the environment. You buy almonds, for example, and the method of pollination is harmful to bees. Western electronic waste is dumped in Asia, cows are being farmed for fast food at the expense of the rain forest, cappuccinos are drunk at the expense of Ethiopians. And on and on and on. So even if you try to be an ethical business person, you can’t help but move into the world of corruption. Just alone having your money in a bank is highly questionable. What is the bank funding or investing in with your money? Do you agree with it?

Some companies refuse to give employees contracts, so, that they, I assume, don’t have to give them eventual raises. The employees pretty much work week to week unsure of hours or if the job will be there the following week. And yet people are made to feel guilty if they don’t work. Having said all this, there isn’t a system in existence, other than possibly one being followed by some remote indigenous tribe, that caters fairly to everyone. We know that so far socialism hasn't worked. But that doesn't mean it can't! And was the end result of these regimes so different to capitalism? Certain people benefited from that system while lying to the citizens. Getting them to believe that it was all for their own well-being and their lives were great, when in reality they were being duped.

My husband experienced the psychological trauma of growing up imprisoned by the Berlin wall. He knows of people mentally and physically tortured in prisons for speaking out against the regime or trying to escape, without ever having received a fair trial. But, you know our childhoods have some similarities. OK, I didn’t learn how to throw a hand grenade or climb under barbed wire, but we were both forced to pledge allegiance to the countries of our birth. Why? It’s not necessary to force respect if one truly deserves it.

As he was learning to hate and fear the Americans and their decadent western ways, I was being taught to hate and fear the Russians and all the countries trapped behind the Iron Curtain. And it’s blatantly noticeable that when the wall fell and with it the Commie threat along came the Muslim threat. How convenient!

As a kid, I clearly remember being home from school alone tucked up on the couch watching TV as the air raid test siren went off. I was terrified. I remember being in school and practicing bomb drills, ridiculous as they were. My husband had a similar experience. The point is, there was no point to any of it, it’s the same ol’ fear-mongering that’s happening now. The same manufactured moral panics.

And no, I didn’t grow up behind a wall, but our family was certainly restricted by our financial situation, a type of wall. We didn’t have a car. I didn’t do all the same things that my well-off friends were doing, nor was there any chance that I would be going to University. And we had it good compared to the Mexicans and African Americans, at least we were white and well educated to a certain degree and that keeps the wall at a scalable height. 

You make it clear that you are anti-abortion. I’m not sure what your views are on gun control? I firmly believe if they want to make it illegal to have an abortion, they better quickly figure out a way to successfully round up all the deserting fathers. And make it impossible to be raped or become a victim of incest or to carry a child with a fatal foetal abnormality. I think if abortion became illegal the system would have to glorify single mothers, creating schemes that cater to helping them and their children live well. I definitely don’t think abortion should be used as a form of birth control, but then that’s down to educating people better. 

In regards to gun control, I don’t get the whole obsession with having guns. Though I have a few theories on why many Americans seem to cherish them. Ancestral guilt maybe??? But it is crystal clear that they are harmful in the wrong hands and sadly there seem to be plenty of those .

I also find it disturbing that many Americans hate illegal immigrants, but hire them to look after their kids, tend their gardens and clean their houses. And, Americans are ultimately immigrants as well. They came to the new land from Europe in search of religious freedom and prosperity and used slaves to create prosperity and brutalized as well as systematically wiped out the ways of the original inhabitants. And now they have the audacity to stop Mexicans from crosser the boarder. Come on!!!!! 

I understand from your comments that you believe people gulp down the mindless media they are fed and I agree, but that, in my opinion, suits the system. A bunch of brain mushy idiots hating each other. Divide and conquer. They will never strive for equality.

And free health care, university etc. How nice!!! Either you pay into health insurance companies, (we all know they don’t like to pay up), or directly give the business or university money, or you are taxed to fund these things. If people were paid well in all jobs (well enough to live without financial stress), than it would be better that their taxes funded these things and you didn’t have to think about trying to find the money to pay for a doctor’s visit or further education for your kids when they were needed. They were simply accessible. I’ll say it again, how nice!

And if people are concerned about homeless, single mothers and all the so called useless spongers taking advantage of this system. So what. Someone somewhere has to be sympathetic. I’m not saying people should be mollycoddled and allowed to get away with behavior that is unfair to others (people need to try their best to get on with it). Nor am I naïve enough to believe that I can handle disturbing attitudes and obnoxious, even harmful behavior with ease, but some form of sympathy and forgiveness has to come into play in human interaction. We really have no idea what other people have endured. I am blown away at the harrowing stories that I’ve heard people reveal who look and seem quite “normal”. I remember, for example, doing a child care course and we had to give a presentation about ourselves as an assignment. I couldn’t believe the sad stories that emerged. And yet I could have dismissed or disliked someone for acting a certain way that bothered me without understanding what was behind it. 

In regards to the vicious cycle of racial intolerance, someone has to step back and refuse to jump on. Otherwise, the bitterness just keeps going around and around.

Sometimes, people don’t want to work when they realize the work ethic doesn’t empower them. And then, of course, a situation arises where the ones working consider the ones not working as lazy or system abusers. 

How can you abuse a system that is inherently abusive? 

There are people everywhere who would love to have a job, but either can’t find one or can’t find a job that pays enough to live on. Back to the unclimbable wall. And many people world-wide work themselves to the grave and have nothing to show for it. That’s not bleeding heart hype, it is a fact.

There is (at least there was a few years back) a doctor’s office in Berlin where each worker from the cleaning lady to the doctor received the same pay. That office was spotless and everyone seemed happy. There are other like-minded companies scattered about across the world. People are trying, though I don’t see a political system that isn’t seething with corruption and consequently creating an environment that makes it difficult for people to be fair.

And how can one fully embrace and respect a country that is full of contradiction.  When the government permits actions that don’t appear to be entirely legal, it creates suspicion. At least it should. For example, the American government sent a boat full of Jewish refugees back to Germany during WW2. At the same time they helped Nazis escape capture because they had useful skills.

Liberty and justice for all! That closing line I rattled off every morning throughout my childhood brings to mind those "Animal Farm" slogans. I guess any system that claims to be the best and fairest and shoves that down everyone’s throat can slot into the "Animal Farm" story. Liberty and justice for all could nicely be modified to Liberty and Justice for some.

Thoughts about America by an expat

What bothers me so deeply about border checks and anti-immigration sentiment is the lie so readily told to cloud the truth. Go ahead if you must, defend your borders, erect checkpoints to confirm citizenship, detain people in airports, interrogate, incarcerate, but be honest about the reasons behind this behavior. Stop fooling yourselves that you are better, nobler or more enlightened. 

Basically the US is the result of a bigger, stronger tribe that warred, cheated and brutalized its way to the top, as many tribes likely have done since humans began roaming and settling this planet. And that’s the key. The people who now rule this area of land known as the US, the ones with the largest stash of cookies, are no better than anyone else. It wasn’t THAT long ago that African Americans were lynched in the US and native children forced into industrial Christian schools. And that Europeans publicly tortured people and killed in the name of their God just like what often occurs in some countries now.

You can say, well we don’t do those brutal things anymore

unlike those ones out in Africa, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan etc., but the thing is YOU DO, covertly.

There is A LOT of torture and cruelty perpetrated in the name of the US and Europe.

And furthermore,

take away those supermarkets and restaurants, crumble that big pile of cookies

and it won’t take long until all the so called civilized, democratic way of life

breaks down and it’s all back to openly warring and brutalizing again.

Defend your land, you out bullied the others for it, it’s yours, that’s the way it goes, isn’t it?

But don’t pretend you are defending anything righteous.

You are just at the top so have the luxury to wallow in this pretense of civility.

Thoughts about America by an expat

The Root of the Right

I think shooting as a sport is totally fine, it is a skill to refine and demonstrate and there is joy in that.

Nonetheless, I think the second amendment stems from something unsavory. The right to bear arms to protect the free state, yet at the time this was written there were many ‘not free’ in this so called free state.

Which group of people were empowered by that amendment?

Yes I think people need to defend themselves when threatened, but is owning a gun not preempting paranoia driven scenarios. Many countries do not have a right to bear arms and people sleep quite snugly at night.

Back to the unsavory behind this amendment. If a country is established through violence and deceit, well then it follows that the government and citizens feel a need to assert their right to bear arms. There is always a lingering, even if minimal, awareness of the vanquished.

And they are pissed off.

Thoughts about America by an expat

A person can kill a lot more people with a gun, and disturbed people with guns are fucking dangerous. Don’t make it easy for them by making it easy to get a gun. But equally, look for the problem behind this deranged behavior.

The problem lies in the way we live. We are missing that profound and natural understanding, that the health of each individual benefits the health of everyone. One’s sadness is everyone’s. A collective norm to maintain mental health would foster awareness and create a safe environment to discuss personal and familial issues more openly. None of these behind closed doors abuses leading to more disturbed states of mind that develop unchecked in isolation. The community wouldn't pry into private matters, they wouldn't  judge, there would be concern and a willingness to help. 

Humans have an innate attraction to community. True community is not only missing in our societal setup, we miss it intuitively and this lack manifests emotionally as anger and frustration, as loneliness. Our current way of life breeds discontent and disconnect. Cyber socializing and consumerism can’t replace that desire for a real community where one is fully accepted for who they are, flaws to talents. To survive, we need community which in turn leads to a connection with all things.

What we think is community these days demands a certain conformity and behavior. In a true community, yes there are duties to perform for the welfare of the group, but equally, the survival of everyone relies on mental health and that health is promoted through acceptance.

But why guns anyway? An NRA love affair with guns is just another search for a group to belong to and feel empowered by. As well, this gun obsession equated with protection, strengthens the isolation and dog eat dog mentality that is poisoning everyone. Criminals versus the decent citizens. Foreigners versus locals, unemployed versus employed, men vs women, teenagers versus adults, and on and on. Our modern way of life, epitomized in the American way of life, doesn’t allow for weakness. Repressed vulnerability is like a land mine awaiting its explosion, especially in a male.

BELOW ARE TWO BOOKS THAT EXPOUND ON THE NECESSITY OF PROPER COMMUNITY. Both excellent.

M. Scott Peck

The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace (Simon & Schuster, 1987) ISBN 978-0-684-84858-7

Malidoma Patrice Some

Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman, Tarcher/Putnam (1994). ISBN 978-0-87477-762-8

Thoughts about America by an expat.

The True Red, White and Blue

Whether you are for Trump or not, he is the, in your face, truth about what has been the covert reality of America from day one. BUT not in the way his followers think so.

America was never great and never will be.

All political advances have been rooted in corruption, greed, racism, oppression, colonization, lies and indoctrination. (Pretty much like every other country!).

And before you point it out, I know there are countries where you’ll get your hand cut off for stealing etc., but at least there’s a certain transparency there, ya know where you’re at with those regimes.

America has always been about duping the people behind a false demeanor of morality and now because Trump is too self-centered to play that game, some people are starting to realize the truth while others are suckers for his brazen criminality, lies and populist tactics. 

Although Trump is a major piece of work, he is not the only questionable president. They all are!

Consider these points:

Guantanamo Bay: In existence since 2002. How is this legal?

Declaration of Independence: All men are created equal. How can you write a line like that when, at the same time, there is slavery and the indigenous population is being systematically eliminated? Enlightened founding fathers? That’s what I learned as a child. Maybe elite would be a better description. (not in the current right wing populist sense which is a dog whistle for anti-semitism).

And what about women?

They aren’t even mentioned.

But it wasn’t just a sign of the times that women were ignored.

There has still never been a female president. How is this possible in a so called democratic country?

(Not that I hold out any hope for change with a

female in office, but still, come on. It’s cringeworthy.)

(One could also ask: what about children, animals, the earth).

America needs an enemy: For example, during the cold war it was communism, now it’s Islam. As far as I understand, military spending is the second largest item on the federal budget. (2023: although it is not a tactic for all US politicians, certainly transgender has taken precedence as the enemy).

In God We Trust: If the motto of America is to trust in God, why is there such a glorification of and an emphasis on war? Why nuclear weapons? Which God are we talking about?

Terrorism: Was not the Boston Tea Party an act of terrorism against the British? A criminal act? A riot? Why is that acceptable in the eyes of “decent” Americans? Terrorism is terrorism, rioters are rioters, criminal behavior is criminal behavior. OR?

(an added thought: why were some of them dressed as Indians?)

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Remember the pilgrims were migrants: Lucky for them, but not for the locals, they didn’t have to deal with any border control issues.

Human Rights are Nature Rights

Humans have rights!

Yet maintaining the rights of all humans on this planet is a huge, ongoing issue. In this strange world we've created, Human Rights must constantly be challenged and monitored. But does it end there with humans?

What about animal rights?

Some of you will instantly agree that yes animals do have rights. Does that belief extend to all animals, including, let's say, the less cuddly ones like spiders, or flies? Or the ones you like to eat? From the magnificent whale to the minute microbe, who are we to say which living things have more worth and what it is that determines intelligence.

I believe we should include all living things in our quest for rights.

But then does the Earth have rights?

Lets break that down further. Tree Rights, Water Rights, Mountain Rights. What about the soil? What about the sky? Do we want clean air only for our benefit or does it have a right to be unpolluted?

I believe every aspect of the natural world is a  living, breathing, feeling part of this planet just like us. 

As long as we limit our perception of the oppressed to one group, we perpetuate oppression. Widen your focus beyond the inequality between genders, the inequality between the so called races, reach further than focus on sexual orientation and gender identity. Though these are highly important issues that need to be addressed, limited focus ultimately cannot bring true liberation. 
If one group is considered lesser then hierarchy is automatically made intact and oppression begins by default. If they are considered unworthy, immoral or subhuman, than hate is present and will undermine the cause. 

This is why organised religions fail. 

All organised religion is based on patriarchy. A hierarchical pyramid. Males rule first and foremost, together men and women rule over children, and finally, humans rule over everything else. The scriptures preach love yet teach segregation from the get-go. Therefore all religious teachings are tainted by hypocrisy.
I believe that to achieve true equality freedom fighters must aim to be open to all issues of discrimination, outright stated or personally acknowledged, and this includes the plight of non-human animals and non-human nature.

Solidarity, true solidarity! 
Now that will rock some foundations.

Having said all this, I am acutely aware of the fact that as a white, CisHet "first worlder", I am unencumbered by the emotional strain of dealing with, for example, racism, anti-lgbtq+ and extreme poverty. My easier circumstances allow me the head space to think about these things. It's a luxury, I know. 

Yet, I still say that to make real and lasting positive change, we as humans can not leave any life form behind on the journey to acceptance and compassion. 

The beginning is the destination.  

Oppression necessitates identifying. The oppressed group, be it race, gender, sexual orientation etc. is compelled to cleave together with their kind and celebrate their difference form the dominant group. How else can they shed light on the injustice they suffer?

In this instance strongly identifying is natural and positive. But it need not be permanent. Ultimately, in a world free of oppression, our sense of self would not be so wound up in such things. Ultimately, why should anyone care about another's sexual orientation or skin colour, for example?  Sure, we will always identify with some aspect of our life, but it should never be to the point that division, fear and superiority  are created and cultivated. 

 

"The lone worker will never escape from his life of poverty for ever and ever; he will go on existing in affliction as long as man is not man's protector, but his worst enemy." 

Taken from the book "Independent People" by Halldor Laxness. (1946).